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Participation of ISE and UNESCO char holder in Daugavpils University at the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development and 8 th Biennial Meeting of the International Network of Teacher Education Institutions Associated with the UNE

ISE professor and UNESCO chair holder Ilga Salite has attended UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development – “Learning Today for a Sustainable Future” that took place on 10-12th November 2014 in Nagoya, Japan and the8th Biennial Meeting of the International Network of Teacher Education Institutions in Okayama, Japan. As the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has emphasized: “ environmental, economic and social indicators tell us that our current model of progress is unsustainable. Ours is a world of looming challenges and increasingly limited resources. Sustainable development offers the best chance to adjust our course ”. The conference showcased initiatives, actors, networks and ideas that were inspired by the DESD and reviewed their impact on the basis of data provided by stakeholders and collected by UNESCO. With a view to post-Decade activities, the conference celebrated the successes of the DESD, analyzed the obstacles encountered and lessons learned. Examples of good practice from all over the world provided insights into viable approaches to ESD and helped to identify key areas for future action. The topics discussed at the conference were as following: “What have we achieved, what are the lessons learnt? How are sustainability challenges addressed through ESD? How does ESD reinforce quality education? What are the strategies for our common future?

The review of the implementation of the DESD at the World Conference has led to the development of strategies for ESD activities after 2014. With the target date of the Millennium Development Goals and the Education for All objectives approaching in 2015, and two years after the Rio+20 conference, the World Conference have highlight the crucial role ESD plays for the next set of global education and development goals. It has made significant contributions to the post-2014 education and sustainable development agendas. The 2014 UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) marked the end of the UN Decade of ESD (2005-2014) and launched of the Global Action Program (GAP) on ESD. Under the banner of “Learning Today for a Sustainable Future”, the Conference celebrated the achievements of the Decade, identified lessons learnt while setting the stage for the future of ESD.

DU ISE asoc. professor Dzintra Ilisko and UNESCO chair holder at Daugavpils University Profesor Ilga Salite has attended the 8th Biennial Meeting of the International Network of Teacher Education Institutions Associated with the UNESCO Chair on Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability in Okayama, Japan that took place in 14 - 17 November, 2014 in Japan. The IN meets biennially in countries around the world in even numbered years. Biennial meetings have been held in Canada (2000), South Africa (2002), Sweden (2004), Finland (2006), Turkey (2008), France (2010) and Canada (2012). The International Network of Teacher Education Institutions is associated with the UNESCO Chair on Reorienting Teacher Education to Address Sustainability at York University in Toronto, Canada. The International Network is comprised of teacher education institutions from about 60 nations around the world. The member institutions work to incorporate sustainability into their programs, practices and policies. Each member institution addresses environmental, social, and economic contexts to create locally relevant and culturally appropriate teacher education programs for both pre-service and in-service teachers. During this meeting the participants discussed the challenges of Global Action Program on ESD and post 2014 agenda.